Christie Gardens is looking for an experienced Kitchen Helper who believes in providing the highest quality of food and service to our residents. This is a vacant position.
Kitchen Helpers work in the kitchen alongside a team of Dining Services staff and assist Cooks in the production and preparation of food for our independent living and nursing home residents.
If this sounds like you - please include a paragraph or cover letter introducing yourself, along with your resume.
The base schedule for this position is Fridays & Saturdays - 11am-7pm - with opportunities to pick up additional shifts.
Who We Are:
We are Christie Gardens Apartments & Care and we’re re-imagining the world of retirement living and the continuum of care. We refuse to believe that the older we get, the less valuable we are. Our aging population deserves autonomy, dignity, and opportunities to be valuable contributors to the community. We are filled to the brim with residents who have great ideas, terrific laughs, and the tenacity to attend morning fitness classes!
We are thinking outside of the box when it comes to philosophy of care and we strive to provide the best support possible for our older adults. We endeavor to be an influence in the healthcare industry and educate newer generations of workers. We love to innovate and grow our ideas into realities.
Our values of Excellence, Community and Grace compel us toward continuous improvement, building relationships and believing the best in one another for the ultimate benefit of the elders we serve. We care about inclusion, equity, accessibility, transparency, work-life balance, continuous learning and staff appreciation days! We are also proud to share we are Great Place to Work Certified as of 2025, and we recently received an award for Community & Social Engagement from the Ontario Retirement Communities Association (ORCA).
Qualifications:
- Ability to follow verbal and written instructions
- Understanding of basic food safety and hygiene practices
- Ability to work in a physically demanding, fast-paced environment
- Demonstrate strong teamwork and effective communication skills in English, both written and verbal.
- Three or more years of related work experience
- Food Handler’s Certificate
Main Responsibilities:
- Assist with preparation of ingredients and food items
- Read and follow standardized recipes and portion guidelines
- Operate a variety of kitchen tools and equipment
- Prepare modified texture diet (e.g. minced, pureed) for CY neighborhood
- Perform basic cooking, reheat or finish cooking pre-prepared foods
- Ensure proper labeling, dating, and storage of ingredients and prepared items
- Portion and plate meals accurately based on menu specification and customers special requests
- Set up and break down prep and service stations and restock supplies
- Maintain cleanliness and sanitation in the fridge, freezer, workstations and equipment.
- Perform additional duties as required
Mandatory Requirements:
- Cleared Vulnerable Sector Police Check
- Two-Step Tuberculosis (TB) Skin Test
- Completion of online mandatory training modules
Process:
If your experience aligns with the needs of the role, and you have a thoughtful cover letter, next steps can include:
1) A brief initial phone call - This will last up to ten minutes and will involve questions about previous experience, how you handle certain situations and availability.
2) A first in-person interview - This interview will last between 30 & 45 minutes and will focus on getting to know you as a person as well as give you a chance to get to know Christie Gardens. There will be no questions based on your previous professional experience and the interviewer will not be from the Dining Services department.
3) A Second in-person interview - This interview will last between 30 & 60 minutes and will involve questions around previous professional experience. The Team Leader for Dining Services will conduct this interview, likely with one other member of the Leadership Team.
4) A Third Team Interview – This interview is less formal, hands on, and will last approximately 2 hours. You will spend time in the Dining Services department with a member of the team to see what the job would be like.
5) References – A member of Human Resources will reach out to you for 2-3 references – current or previous managers or direct supervisors.
6) Job offer
Christie Gardens is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from a wide range of qualified candidates, including people with disabilities. If you have questions or require assistance with the application process please contact us.
Everyone deserves to Belong. At Christie Gardens we value individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, genders, sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities, and hope you feel encouraged to apply for this position.
If you’d like to learn more about what Christie Gardens is up to, feel free to take a look at the below links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GhcE4HwLo&t=1s
https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2025/09/06/university-of-toronto-course-brings-intergenerational-classroom-into-community/
Find us here:
@christie_gardens (Instagram)
Christie Gardens (Facebook)
https://ca.linkedin.com/company/christiegardens
Pay: $21.18 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
Application question(s):
- Are you available to work Fridays & Saturdays, 11am - 7pm?
Licence/Certification:
- Food Handler Certification (preferred)
Work Location: In person
